Friday, August 30, 2013

I'm not sure what this says about my personality, but I dislike the sand.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take the opportunity to relax on a lounge chair on the beach anytime, but it's the sand itself that typically ends up bothering me. How is it possible that it never seems to come off? And why oh why does it have to get under my fingernails the minute that I touch it?

My kids, on the other hand, rank sand up there on their list of Most Awesome Things Ever and have never passed up the chance to dig and play and imagine with it... provided that they had great sand toys, of course. Sit them down with only sand and they'll look at you like you asked them to count every grain, but give them a bucket and a shovel and they'll dig right in.

Which is why when I heard that one of our favorite brands, HABA, had added a variety of sand and water toys to their already-fun collection, I had no doubt that all future sand play would be a true adventure of digging, patting, pouring, sifting, measuring and dreaming.

Unmatched in their selection of unique, high quality toys, games, gifts and furniture, HABA has long offered the whimsical and innovative toys for babies, toddlers and beyond that reflect their European values of staying playful and environmentally-friendly.

As we have never met a HABA product that we haven't loved, I took one look at their colorful sand and water toys and knew without a doubt that the Sun Bistro Pat-A-Cake Bake Set would result in all sorts of creative masterpieces.

With zero instruction required, I handed over the Sun Bistro Pat-a-Cake Bake Set to Big Sister E and Little Sister B and they went immediately to work preparing our next meal in their sand table.

My little chefs were thrilled to mix...

...pour...

...and create all sorts of meals for me to sample. Were we in a restaurant? Going on a picnic? At home whipping up dinner? It didn't matter, there were always plenty of delicious sand treats to enjoy!

Of course we did find that using completely dry sand didn't result in sand food that stayed very well-formed...

...but that has never stopped how seriously my bakers take their work.

Plus, by simply adding in a little water (this set would be perfect to bring to the beach!) we found that our cookies, pies and cakes came together even easier. The results are just so cute and fun!

HABA was already a trusted name in our house for quality wooden toys, but the Sun Bistro Pat-a-Cake Bake Set (retail price $21.49) has expanded that adoration even further! I love that my kids can be creative with both their minds and their hands and that this set can be used by nearly any age (HABA recommends it for 3+) and still bring interest and use at home, at a park, on vacation and more.

I have no doubt that we'll be playing with these baking tools for years to come and keeping them in mind for gifts for friends who enjoy the sand as much as we do. Head over to HABAusa.com (you can also use the store locator to find their products in hundreds of stores from coast to coast), to bring home the award-winning fun that HABA provides to educate and inspire the children in your life, as well as connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Thanks to HABA's generosity, one person will also be able to enjoy the individuality, style and value that comes along with their amazing sand toys, because...

A big thank you to HABA for providing samples for me to review as well as the choice of sand toy truck for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

HABA has so much cool stuff! I have long wanted their Ships See Saw Swing when I saw it on a pinterest board for playrooms, but in all actuality I would be able to get (afford) their MOOVER Doll Pram - soooo cute!

There is nothing cuter than seeing my granddaughter in her little dress with her purse over her arm sitting in the sandbox! She's such a girl that also loves to get dirty, she would love the ABC Sand Molds.